


To Live On

by LokasennaHiddleston



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Character Death Fix, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Happy Birthday Suzaku, M/M, No Zero Requiem, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 12:54:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19746169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LokasennaHiddleston/pseuds/LokasennaHiddleston
Summary: They say you live on through your descendants. But Suzaku never expected his Geass to interpret that as a permission to impregnate Lelouch. Now, he finds himself faced with an impossible mission - to kill not only his lover and emperor, but also his unborn child. For the sake of the Zero Requiem, he has no choice. Or does he?





	To Live On

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday, Suzu, my love! I actually wanted to update Unholy Trinity in celebration, but that chapter has been fighting it, so I'm posting some other stuff instead. Now, I know there are a ton of pregnant Lelouch fics out there, but I couldn't resist writing one of my own. And since it's Suzaku's birthday and all, I thought, why the hell not? It's a suitable theme!
> 
> Enjoy!

Suzaku Kururugi has a secret. Well more than a secret, it's something he doesn't really want to acknowledge and actively tries to ignore.

He likes being the Knight of Zero.

He likes standing at Lelouch's side, protecting a master he actually trusts. He likes the power his position gives him.

And he likes that this knighthood had granted him access to Lelouch's body and his bed.

The thing is, the fact that he's attracted to Lelouch is not news to him. If anything, the opposite is the case. He's always been at least somewhat peripherally aware that he wants Lelouch sexually. It was just never something he had the chance to pursue—first because of him being an Eleven, then because of Zero, Euphie, and everything the two of them have done.

If pressed, in his darkest moments, Suzaku will sometimes acknowledge to himself that maybe that attraction had something to do with what he felt for Euphie, romantically. But he's always known he's a twisted, horrible person, so this is just a drop in the sea of his sins.

As for Lelouch's own attraction to Suzaku... Well, he always kind of felt something was there, something Lelouch never acknowledged, but was more visible in Euro-Britannia, when Lelouch was in his Julius Kingsley persona. Sometimes, instead of desperately pleading for water, Lelouch would look at him one coy purple eye and wordlessly ask for something else. It's really a minor miracle Suzaku didn't respond to that call sooner.

In any case, all things considered, it's not a huge surprise that, after their agreement on Kaminejima, they fall in bed together. It's fairly common for knights to serve their liege lords in this way—although it was never necessary for Suzaku when he was the Knight of Seven, thank the gods. By this point, they're both so angry and desperate that it's not even necessarily just about lust.

Their first time is shortly after the Ragnarok Connection. They're on the run, taking refuge wherever they can, with barely any resources and only C.C. to make sure they don't get themselves caught.

They still go at each other like they're starving animals, and Suzaku still chews on Lelouch's throat until he leaves it raw. Lelouch still claws at his back like he's in a frenzy, with that same intensity that was in his voice the moment he ordered God to not stop the march of time.

It's insane and sweet and full of so much emotion Suzaku can barely understand it. Lelouch limps for a day, but he doesn't complain about it, or about the bruises Suzaku leaves on his beautiful body. A part of Suzaku revels in it. The other makes a mental note to be more careful.

It's strange, but even now, even when he wants to break Lelouch to pieces... He doesn't want Lelouch to feel pain.

Of common accord, they decide to skip having full on intercourse again until they have access to better amenities. As such, the second time Suzaku gets to fuck Lelouch, it's on his newly acquired throne. They've just taken over Britannia, using the foul power of Lelouch's Geass. Lelouch has sent everyone away, but C.C. is just standing there, watching, with a concerned expression on her normally stoic face.

Suzaku doesn't bother to speak to her. He just grabs Lelouch and pulls him in for a kiss.

This time, he's come prepared. Lelouch will probably laugh at him later for having lube in his pocket while he took out the Britannian guards, but whatever. Suzaku doesn't even care anymore.

Their time together is running out. They've both made a choice, a drastic one, for the good of the world, but that doesn't mean Suzaku can't be just a little selfish, just for a while longer. To have just a little more of Lelouch, now, that he can get him. To claim Lelouch's body for his own, before he has to end Lelouch's life with his own hands.

Yes, he will take it, because he can, because Lelouch is his, his to own and protect and kill, and gods help him, he will embrace it.

He's still Suzaku Kururugi now, a knight of Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia. Eventually, he will die, but until then, he will brand every single part of him in Lelouch's flesh and every single part of Lelouch in his own, so that together, they will be a single being—the creature that is Zero.

He isn't sure at which point the Geass starts pulsing at the back of his mind. It's just been his constant companion for so long that he simply doesn't notice.

It's really the main reason why he even realized the purpose of Lelouch's command, even if he doesn't actually remember it. And if it gets stronger and more intense with every passing day, if it urges him to get closer to Lelouch, to kiss him and fuck him and hold him as tightly as he can, well... He doesn't really mind it.

And so, he hides his secret and hides how much delight he takes in each of every one of Lelouch's moans of pleasure. He hides how much he comes to crave the scent of Lelouch's sweat and the taste of his kisses. It's easy, since he's been pretending, lying and denying his own needs all his life.

He only realizes something isn't quite right shortly after the battle with Bismarck. Lelouch meets him back in the Albion hangars, smiles at him and says, "Well done, my knight." Something inside Suzaku seems to shatter, and he stalks up to Lelouch and crushes their mouths together.

They're surrounded by people. Cecile and Lloyd are right there, as well as countless technicians, and Lelouch's sister, Marrybell.

It doesn't matter. He still pulls Lelouch into the Lancelot and tears his white robes off with the desperation of a man possessed. Lelouch's amethyst eyes grow feverish the moment Suzaku touches him, and he welcomes every kiss, even when it tastes like blood because Suzaku has bitten his lip.

This time, it's Lelouch who has enough foresight to be prepared. It's just as well, because Suzaku can't really fit lube in the fetish gear Lelouch calls a uniform, and he's run out of patience. He finds the lube in Lelouch's robes and unceremoniously thrusts two fingers into his anus.

Lelouch arches against him, his whole body a study in perfection, much too skinny, but still so beautiful. His cock is as pretty as the rest of him, and it's probably a waste that it'll never get to touch a woman, but Suzaku is selfish enough to hoard it all for himself, now that he still can. He jerks off his flight suit as much as he can, one-handed, but coordinated, all the while pressing sloppy kisses to Lelouch's mouth.

And it's so easy now, to find Lelouch's prostate, to make him fall apart and bring him to the verge without actually making him come. It's so easy to press inside, to fuck deep into Lelouch, so deep the heat feels like it swallows him whole.

In the end, Lelouch comes first—he never did have Suzaku's stamina—and the way his body clenches around Suzaku pushes him over the edge. The fire inside him seems to burn even brighter, and a supernova explodes inside him as he comes.

When it's all over, Lelouch slumps against him, breathless, sweaty and more beautiful than ever before. "Umm... Well, that was enthusiastic."

Suzaku lets out a low laugh, feeling lightheaded with a strange emotion he can't define. "Are you complaining, Your Majesty?"

"Never," Lelouch says, with a small, almost sweet smile. "Feel free, anytime you want."

It's absolutely true, and the honest weight of the words makes Suzaku discard the strangeness of the fact that he basically assaulted his emperor in the middle of the hangar.

After all, it's not like he's ever been rational about Lelouch in any way. This is no different.

****

Shortly after the episode in the hangar, Suzaku's random surges of desperate need dissipate, and he thinks nothing of it. He and Lelouch go through with their plan to take the UFN captive. And then, Nunnally contacts them, alive and well, standing by Schneizel's side and declaring herself to be Lelouch's enemy.

It makes him angry, angry in the same way he was when he dragged Lelouch in front of his father to be brainwashed by the same power that destroyed Euphie's mind. It's not even Nunnally's survival itself—he's happy about that, since he still cares about her deeply. It's Lelouch's helpless fury and obvious confusion.

As Lelouch's knight, he cannot allow this.

"Lelouch, our strategic objective has not changed," he says as he grabs the lapel of his emperor's robes. "What is the point of the Zero Requiem if we give up now?"

He pushes Lelouch back—and Lelouch falls, his head bowed in a posture far too submissive for a man capable of bringing the world to its knees. A part of Suzaku wants to kneel next to him and hold him, but he can't bring himself to reach out.

If he wants to be honest with himself, it's for his own sake, as well as Lelouch's. He believes in the Requiem, believes that it must happen. It will give Lelouch the peace Suzaku will never have, and let Suzaku shoulder the burden of the world—which is just the way it should be, after everything he's done.

But no matter how much he tells himself that, he also cannot deny how much he wishes there were a different way.

He fully intends on leaving Lelouch right there, where he's fallen, with the witch. And then, all of sudden, Lelouch lets out a choked noise. He goes pasty white—a remarkable feat considering his already pale complexion—and scrambles to his feet. He stumbles over his own robes as he gets up, but somehow, he manages to rush to the bathroom.

C.C. goes after him, and Suzaku awkwardly stands in the middle of Lelouch's apartment, listening to Lelouch throw up.

Great. Now he feels horrible about throwing Lelouch around at a time when he is so obviously vulnerable.

Should he apologize? He isn't sure. He isn't sure of anything anymore.

It would probably be better if he left them to it. He's Lelouch's sword. He's supposed to strike down Lelouch's enemies and his weakness. C.C. can be there to comfort Lelouch.

But it doesn't feel right to just leave either, so he ultimately follows them to the bathroom, regardless.

He finds C.C. petting Lelouch's hair, a distant expression on her face. She's holding his head in his lap, and he's still pale, if no longer looking like he's going to be sick.

Suzaku suddenly has a bad feeling.

His conclusion so far has been that this episode is related to Lelouch's confused emotions regarding Nunnally. But something in C.C.'s demeanor suggests there may be more to it.

"C.C.? What is it? Is something wrong?"

C.C. looks up at him, still blank-faced, but somehow more intense than usual. "I think Lelouch might be pregnant."

A jolt of shock courses through Suzaku. His breath catches. For a few seconds, he doesn't even know how to process the words. Once his brain catches up with their meaning, he instantly lashes out. "Is this some kind of joke, witch? If it is, I don't find it at all amusing."

C.C.'s stoic expression changes to one of barely veiled anger. "Do you think I'd really joke about something like this? Now of all times?"

"I don't know," Suzaku snaps at her. "You're an immortal witch. Your sensibilities are very different to that of us common mortals."

It's petty of him to bring up those words now, but his head is spinning and he doesn't understand what is going on.

She opens her mouth, probably to provide another biting reply—it would not be the first time they fought since he's joined Lelouch—but she doesn't get the chance to speak. Lelouch gets up, having apparently recovered enough to understand their exchange.

"C.C. What the hell are you talking about?"

Just like that, C.C. discards Suzaku's presence like he's not even there. "You heard me. I think you're pregnant."

"In case you somehow missed it during these past years, I'm male," Lelouch hisses. "I don't have the ability to bear a child."

"I know that," C.C. replies. "I don't actually understand how it could've happened. I simply felt it. Just now."

Suzaku takes a deep breath and tries to push back his anger. "Is it the Geass? Did it do this?"

"Technically... Geass can do anything. But I've never heard of such a thing happening in all my years bearing the code."

A small shudder goes through Lelouch. Clearly, he realizes the consequences of this as much as Suzaku does.

He gets up, once more steady, all signs of his earlier panic over Nunnally completely gone. "Right. We should probably check."

"I'll speak to Miss Cecile and Lloyd," Suzaku offers. "They can help us, and they're discreet."

He trusts Cecile, as she's been the only person to truly support him all throughout his time as the pilot of the Lancelot. And even if Lloyd doesn't quite understand how people work, he is, in his own way, invested in Suzaku. Sometimes, Suzaku even thinks that Lloyd cares about him, a little bit, like he would about a particularly well-developed frame, at least.

He just hopes they are qualified for ob-gyn exams, because they don't really have time to wheel Lelouch into an actual hospital for further testing.

As it turns out, they are in luck. They don't have the exact kind of equipment they need for ob-gyn on board the Avalon, but the equipment that monitors the health of the pilots and their compatibility with the knightmares can be adjusted to detect additional life signs or 'anomalies', as Lloyd puts it.

The tests are more conclusive than expected. "It would appear that you are indeed, pregnant, Your Majesty," Cecile says.

Lelouch seems like he's seconds away from hyperventilating. "How could this happen? My Geass only actually has an effect on others, and it's never affected my own body in such a way before."

"I really don't know, Lelouch," C.C. says. "But even I don't understand the full workings of Geass."

As they speak, Suzaku has a sudden realization. He remembers the feverish way he's been reaching out to Lelouch in past weeks, the fire that burned inside him whenever they fucked, the way it's only subsided somewhat since the battle with Bismarck.

"In theory..." he starts, choking before he can finish his sentence. He braces himself and forces out the following words. "Is it possible that Lelouch's command... The 'live on' command... That it would've changed me? Physically?"

Everyone in the room stares at him. "Your command? How would that relate to anything?"

"Lelouch, I'm supposed to die," Suzaku says. "I've felt the Geass... activate, if not completely. I just haven't really paid much heed to it. Could it have done something... on its own? That allowed me... To do this?"

"Come to think of it, that is a good possibility," C.C. muses. "You do live on through your descendants. It is a little strange that you'd want to... reproduce with Lelouch instead of other, more likely candidates, but perhaps his Geass makes him more liable to carry a pregnancy, considering that it too, is affected by Geass."

"C.C., that doesn't even make sense," Lelouch says between gritted teeth. "Suzaku isn't actually supposed to die. I mean... For the most part, it's a metaphor."

"It doesn't matter," C.C. answers. "His consciousness does acknowledge it as real, so the command you gave him could've activated in some way. Even if not in a direct manner, like in Tokyo."

"But Geass isn't supposed to make you do anything your body isn't capable of. And Suzaku doesn't even have Geass of his own. His is only a command."

"I have no idea, Lelouch. But..." She hesitates for a second, then finishes, "You do realize that happened in the world of C, with the Sword of Akasha, isn't exactly a common phenomenon? It's not out of the question that it would've affected both of you somehow."

"And you're telling us this now?"

"It didn't seem like there was anything wrong, before," C.C. says. "Well, other than the fact that you were both suicidal. But that's just business as usual. It'd have been more surprising if you'd had a change of heart."

Suzaku wants to say something else, anything else that would help him make sense of this insanity, but nothing comes out. In the end, it's Lloyd who speaks next. "Congratulations, Sir Kururugi," he drawls. "Your're going to be a father."

Suzaku narrowly manages not to burst into a manic fit of laughter. A father. It's like a bad joke. The ultimate irony of fate.

He's always believed that he needs to atone for his crimes with his own life, but clearly, that would have been too easy. What he was meant to do, what he was always meant for, is to murder, ruin and destroy, and the price for that is the blood and the lives of the people he loves.

"What are you going to do, Your Majesty?" Cecile asks, her voice thick with concern.

Lelouch grits his teeth, and in the stubborn clench of his jaw, Suzaku sees his answer. Their eyes meet. "What do you think, Suzaku?" Lelouch asks, regardless.

"Well, to be honest... Right now, I kind of want to take you and run away to Australia to raise our child. But... I don't think that's very likely, is it?"

Maybe he should still resent Lelouch for Euphie, for everything he's done as Zero, for all the death and mayhem he brought about. But the truth is, he can't bring himself to it, not when he's so aware of just how much blood he has on his hands.

Not that it matters now. They've made their decision, and this doesn't really change their agreement, just like Nunnally's survival didn't.

He faces Lelouch without flinching, accepting this fate just like he accepted that of being the executioner of the man he loved more than he should have. "Whatever you decide, Lelouch, I will understand and respect."

It will tear the heart out of his chest, but it's not like he's going to have much of a heart after the Requiem anyway. He's supposed to become Zero, and Zero is only a mask. A knight for justice, without a family, love or friends of his own.

Lelouch watches him with hooded, purple eyes. His gaze is filled with so much anguish Suzaku is forced to look away. "Can I be excused, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, of course, Suzaku," Lelouch replies sedately.

Suzaku leaves, his heart heavy with the knowledge that, most likely, he will have to not only kill his lover, but also the child Lelouch carries.

****

It's a few hours later when Lelouch finds him again. He's in the Avalon hangars, watching the two Lancelots—his own and C.C.'s version—being prepared for the battle. He's absently petting Arthur, who is still biting him. The small fangs don't really pierce the material of Suzaku's thick gloves, but he wishes that they did. Maybe it would help him feel something. Anything at all.

Lelouch walks up to him and comes to stand by his side. For the longest time, he says nothing. Suzaku hates it, because he's much too aware that every second that passes is one second less he has with Lelouch. Each moment of his life brings him closer to the day he will have to end the existence of his family.

"Suzaku... You know how much you mean to me, don't you?" Lelouch suddenly asks.

Suzaku turns toward Lelouch, surprised. "Yes," he answers. "Of course."

He does know that, because how can he not? After everything they've done to one another, everything they've been through, in the end, their bond has endured, and it was still him Lelouch trusted. Still him he chose to safeguard his legacy of peace.

Lelouch nods and takes a deep breath. He seems uncharacteristically nervous, but then, he always tended to fluster easily when in a private setting. Even so, his voice is steady when he finally inquires, "Would you be willing to be my knight?"

Suzaku stares at him. "I'm sorry? Lelouch, I'm already your knight."

"Yes, I know that. But this is different." His eyes burn with a determination that seems to reach straight into Suzaku's soul. "Would you be willing to truly swear an oath of fealty to me, not to the Zero Requiem? Would you be willing to stand by the side of Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia, as he rebuilds his country, from within?"

Suzaku is so shocked he squeezes Arthur a little too tightly. The cat hisses, claws at him and escapes, but Suzaku barely notices. "Do you mean that?" he asks like a man in a dream.

Lelouch nods. "I know... I know that it is selfish. That maybe we shouldn't let this change anything. But at the same time, I can't help but think that maybe, in some way, this is a sign.

"And to tell you the truth, Suzaku... Maybe it was foolish and cowardly of me to even come up with the Requiem. I wanted... I wanted to atone. For everything that I've done. I wanted to buy the world a second chance, with the price of my blood and my soul. But maybe, what I'm supposed to do is to continue my fight. Isn't it more selfish to leave it all up to you, while I return to the world of C?"

It's almost too good to be true. Suzaku would've never thought this was possible.

Lelouch had been so determined, his complete conviction that this was the right path almost crushing in its intensity. To think that he could have changed his mind... It's beyond Suzaku's power of comprehension.

And yet, Lelouch is still there, in front of him, waiting for his reply. He hasn't moved, but his body seems to be vibrating with a silent tension.

Suzaku throws all caution out the window and leans closer into Lelouch's space. It's not very appropriate, but at this point, who the hell cares? "You know that I was honored to accept the trust you placed in me, my emperor," he replies, caressing Lelouch's cheek. "I would've done it. For you. I would've guarded your wishes and the peace that you created. But... I'm not a very good person either. I can't deny that I... I want a future. By your side. As Suzaku Kururugi."

A bright smile lights up Lelouch's familiar face. "You'll stay then?"

"Absolutely. Always."

They don't have time to do much more than kiss, but Suzaku doesn't mind it. He knows he has a duty, and in order to go through with their plan and build their new future, they must win the war against Schneizel.

The battle goes much as Lelouch expected. As Zero, Lelouch created a truly unified and well-prepared group, and it shows. The forces of the UFN, acting as Schneizel's attack dogs, wreck through Lelouch's units. The Guren alone is a challenge. Adding Anya's Mordred, the Shen Hu, the Ikaruga's Hadrons, and every other Black Knights... It's really no surprise that Lelouch is at a disadvantage. He doesn't have the forces to stand against everything Schneizel is throwing at them, not here in Japan.

Granted, Suzaku could probably be doing more damage than he has been so far, but he knows he must hold position, and not advance too much.

Just as the enemy gains confidence that they have the upper hand, the sakuradite mines explode, consuming most of the enemy's fleet in a fiery inferno. The Ikaruga goes down, and the Damocles is left exposed.

With his forces heavily damaged by the sakuradite mine explosion, Schneizel predictably resorts to the FLEIJAs. The damage the missile does makes Suzaku's Geass vibrate slightly at the back of his mind, but he ignores it.

Instead, he attempts to break through the Avalon's defenses. It is futile. The Blaze Luminous around it is impossible to breach, despite the high energy output of the Albion. Then, the remaining Black Knights converge upon the Avalon, and the Geass roars at the back of Suzaku's mind. He flies back, rushing to the defense of his emperor, and goes through them like a knife through butter. There is no more doubt, no more hesitance in his heart. Xingke and Tohdoh try to team up against him, but it's a useless effort.

When Tohdoh questions his determination and reasons, Suzaku wants to laugh, because Tohdoh will never understand. Tohdoh-sensei has deliberately cut himself off from love and family, precisely to avoid ever having to choose between sentiment and duty. And while that's all well and good, it doesn't change the fact that Suzaku is sick and tired of sacrificing his own heart for the benefit of those who don't understand.

He's selfish, yes, and cruel. He's a murderer, and his hands are so stained with blood there isn't enough water in all the oceans to wash them clean. But does it really matter? He's tired, tired of losing things, of losing people, of losing every single chance he's had at happiness.

This is his final chance. Lelouch has granted it to him, even if Suzaku knows it couldn't have been easy for him to make that decision. And Suzaku will protect it, no matter what.

It doesn't take Suzaku long to dispatch the knightmare of his old teacher, but Xingke still tries to attack the Avalon while Suzaku is kept occupied. Suzaku catches a glimpse of what he is doing just in time. He throws one of his swords at the Shen Hu, and it goes straight through the midsection of the powerful knightmare. The automatic eject is activated, and Xingke escapes seconds away before the frame is destroyed.

It's still a losing battle and he knows that. In the end, their true enemy is the Damocles, not the Black Knights. No matter how many knightmares he blows up, it will still be for nothing if the Damocles is not brought down.

That doesn't mean it's not frustrating when he sees the Guren come up to the Avalon. So, this is the way it's going to be?

It's just as well. He was always meant to keep an eye out for Kallen and the more powerful knightmares. Now, here she is, just like Lelouch expected.

He catches up to her before she can try to approach the Avalon further. The Avalon's shields have already been damaged by previous attacks. It's still holding up, but the Guren is a powerful machine, and it will break through if Suzaku doesn't do something about it.

"So," Kallen says, "here we are, Suzaku. It's time to put an end to our continuously crossing paths."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Suzaku replies.

"Even if we were on opposite sides, I always thought you cared about Japan. But as I see now that the only thing you care about is power."

Suzaku doesn't bother trying to explain that off. "You're one to talk. You talk of justice and you claim you have the upper ground, but all along, the only thing you, and everyone like you has been doing, is using Lelouch. And now, you've turned against him. And for who? Schneizel?"

"Schneizel has nothing to do with it! Lelouch betrayed us. Betrayed the world!"

Suzaku supposes that's fair enough, since Lelouch did want to make it seem like he's a crazy would-be dictator. But in the end, Kallen's opinions on Lelouch's recent are irrelevant. "You're the ones who betrayed him first."

"I find that highly amusing, coming from you. You who've been fighting against Lelouch all along."

Well, she's not wrong. It's kind of funny, really. Everything in Suzaku's life seems to have been a continuous circle of betrayal. His father, Japan, Euphie, Lelouch, the emperor. Then, Lelouch again, and the Zero Requiem. Yes, Suzaku has made so many vows and promises, and broken most of them.

But this, this is the one promise he will keep. He will come back to his emperor, and they will build a better world together. Just like they were always meant to be.

"You only care about power," Kallen continues. "In that case..."

"In that case what?" Suzaku asks, a little mockingly.

"You musn't be allowed to live. I'm going to defeat you and stop Lelouch."

Suzaku couldn't care less about Kallen's threat to his existence, but to threaten Lelouch? He would not accept that. "That won't happen," he replies.

He knows that the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. is superior to the Albion. That damn monster made mincemeat of the Conquista in Tokyo. But he is not afraid. He can beat Kallen. His determination is second to none. He is convinced of that, and he is Lelouch's knight. He must safeguard the Avalon and, at the very least, make sure Nina has enough time to perfect the ace up their sleeve.

Kallen comes at him, claw ablaze. It's more dangerous now, her reach and range greater, but Suzaku too has a better shield. The world blurs and everything becomes focused on the fight, on removing this obstacle, the stubborn girl that is a threat to his future.

She's an overwhelmingly good pilot and manages to block a lot of his blows. He loses his VARIS, and his energy is depleting quicker than he would like. But he is faster, and Lelouch's Geass—the command he called a curse, but which has apparently made him capable of impregnating Lelouch for some insane reason—makes him even more so.

Behind them, more FLEIJA's are being shot. The Avalon is still retreating. Suzaku isn't sure, but he thinks he's seen Orange engaging Anya somewhere. C.C. had come out as well and is keeping some of the remaining Black Knights at bay, but that can only help so much. Lelouch's forces are being pushed back by the overwhelming might of the FLEIJA.

He needs to win this, and he needs to do it now.

Maybe it's that knowledge and that instinct that guides him to fire his Slash Harken at just the right moment. It sneaks past Kallen's guard, into an unexpected weak spot. By now, like the Lancelot, the Guren too is at its limit. It powers down and falls.

Lelouch must've been monitoring the battle in some way, because as soon as the Guren is out of the way, he contacts Lelouch, "Well done, my knight. You've bought us enough time. Now, for our counter-attack."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Despite agreeing to Lelouch's order, Suzaku still feels dread upon watching the Shinkiro emerge from the Avalon. Lelouch's knightmare has already been mounted with the device meant to deactivate the FLEIJA, a device Lelouch and Suzaku are supposed to use together. The problem is, of course, that to accomplish this, Lelouch has to fly in himself, straight at a coming FLEIJA missile.

Lelouch isn't Suzaku, and the Shinkiro is nowhere near as fast as the Lancelot. He won't be able to fly out of the way if something goes wrong, and they have no real guarantee that Nina has not tried to cross them due to her anger over Euphie.

But this is their last option, and Suzaku will just have to trust that it won't fail them.

Besides, Nina doesn't know about Lelouch and Suzaku's decision to discard the Requiem. Lelouch's imminent death at Suzaku's hands is probably enough to satisfy her need to avenge Euphie. They just have to rely on that and hope for the best.

As the Shinkiro launches, the Damocles shoots another FLEIJA missile at them. Suzaku clutches the controls of the Lancelot so hard it's painful. _Come on, come on, come on. Please, let this work._

His prayers are answered. "Suzaku!" Lelouch shouts from the Shinkiro.

The neutralizing spear is already detaching from the Shinkiro. Suzaku feels the Geass buzzing at the back of his mind. "Yes, Your Majesty!" he instinctively replies.

In less than a second, Suzaku has already thrown the device, directing it at the approaching missile. The FLEIJA goes out, leaving no sign of ever having been there. Perfect.

In the wake of the missile's destruction, the Blaze Luminous around the Damocles's base remains lifted, allowing Suzaku, Lelouch and a few other knightmares to fly in. From there, even with his damaged knightmare, it's easy for Suzaku to break into the fortress.

The Tristan gets in their way.

It's a shame really, but when Gino throws his sword at the Shinkiro, Suzaku sees red.

He will not lose any more. No more. He has made his decision and has been given a second chance, and will not waste it.

Fortunately, Lelouch manages to escape the Shinkiro, and seems steady on his feet. "Keep back, Lelouch. This will only take a minute."

"Do you really think you can beat me that easily?" Gino asks. "I will do everything I can to protect something I love."

"And I'm fighting for the same reason. So as well-intentioned as you might be, Gino, you and I both know how this will end."

Even as he speaks, he's already rushing forward. He ends up herding Gino outside the fortress—more out of desire to avoid any damage coming to Lelouch than anything else. From there, it really is a very easy fight. Gino's machine is in a far better state than Suzaku's own Lancelot, but the Albion is a superior frame in every other way, and Suzaku is still a better pilot. Suzaku's only real problem is the fact that the Lancelot is on its last leg energy wise, so he really does have to deal with this quickly.

His speed and Geass come in handy once again, and despite Gino's attempt to attack him, his one remaining blade slices straight just as his first one did with the Shen Hu.

It doesn't take Suzaku long to destroy the Tristan, send its remnants crashing down onto the side of the Damocles base, and return to Lelouch's side. Fortunately, Lelouch has waited for him. Side by side, they make their way through the fortress.

Lelouch's original plan involved him ambushing his brother and ordering him to serve Zero—as Suzaku was intended to take up the mask. That plan has changed, but nevertheless, the bare bones remain the same. As expected, Schneizel attempts to flee using the transports on the lower levels. It's easy enough for Suzaku and Lelouch to incapacitate the guards or place them under Geass.

He finds it oddly satisfying to hold Schneizel down while Lelouch places him under a command that will force him to never again defy Lelouch. Maybe it's just because that he feels he's finally come full circle. Maybe it's because it hurts, in a way, reminding him of things he'd much rather forget. But still, it feels like closure, and he smiles at Lelouch when they're done.

The world is still waiting for them. They still have to mend so many of their mistakes. But Suzaku has hope now, and for that hope—not just for the Geass his emperor cast on him—he will live on.


End file.
